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Argos Win the Grey Cup & NFL Week 11 Recap
75 Plays6 months ago
The Goal Post is back with a special Championship edition of the podcast after the Argos huge win in the 111th Grey Cup!
Damien and Patrick recorded fresh off of the Argos Championship rally and start off the episode by breaking down every aspect of the Grey Cup - a game recap, the biggest turning points, how the Argos won, how Winnipeg managed to lose, as well as an overarching recap on the CFL season as a whole - including an outlook on the upcoming CFL Free Agency period. #IsItJuneYet?
The boys then go through each game from Week 11 - The Chargers finally get a signature win, the Bills ruin the Chiefs perfect season (and are officially off of fraud watch), Patrick gets to gloat after the Steelers beat the Ravens… again, and they look at some dark horses for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
They finish by making their picks for the Week 12 slate - Damien sits at 19-14, while Patrick trails closely behind at 16-17.
Enjoy!
111th Grey Cup Recap: 0:00 - 29:34
Week 11 Recap
Texans vs Cowboys: 29:35 - 40:09
Chargers vs Bengals: 40:10 - 48:53
Bills vs Chiefs: 48:54 - 56:21
Steelers vs Ravens: 56:22 - 1:03:42
Seahawks vs 49ers: 1:03:43 - 1:11:55
Packers vs Bears: 1:11:56 - 1:20:06
Colts vs Jets: 1:20:07 - 1:26:40
Quick Hits (The Rest): 1:26:41 - 1:44:29
Week 12 Picks: 1:44:30 - 1:51:45
Recommended
Transcript
Argonauts' Grey Cup Victory
00:00:26
Speaker
Alright, welcome back to another episode of The Goalpost, a championship edition of The Goalpost. As the Argos take down the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Dynasty Stoppers, 41-24 in the 111th grade cup, me and Patrick are fresh off the championship rally. Patrick, how are we doing?
00:00:52
Speaker
Couldn't be better, Damien. we Like you said, we just got back from the the celebration today for the great cup for the Toronto Argos, who have now won two out of the last three great cups. And it's amazing, Damien, because, you know, this is a team that was doubted, um especially after the loss of Chad Kelly heading into BC.
00:01:11
Speaker
you know is probably going to be predominantly uh bombers fans in the stands and you know tough for the argos fans to travel but in the great words of de various daniels don't doubt an underdog or you might get bit and that's exactly what happened this past sunday the toronto argonauts just put their put their mark on the gray cup and the cfl with a 41 24 victory over the winnipeg blue bombers and i've claimed the 111th Grey Cup and it feels amazing. Feels great man, coming in as 10.5 point dogs. It moved all the way down to 7.5 right before kickoff but still that 10.5 sticks out and just bullied the bombers. I knew, we'll get into our recap, but I knew when it was 10.9 at half
00:02:00
Speaker
the and the Argos were just the better team all around. I'm going to pull a little Ryan Day here. I want to know where Tyson the Philpott is right now, because that was clearly the best team in the CFL at that point. They were the best team in the playoffs, and it's hard to put into words, just a dominating win, especially with what the Argos went through this year. You start the season without Chad Kelly, you get picked apart in free agency before the season even starts.
00:02:49
Speaker
practically all of your best players, um you lose picket, you lose Jamal Peters, Stiggers goes to the NFL, you lose Javon Leake, AJ Lett, Sean Oakman leaves the team halfway through the season, they fight through, you know, getting 9 games without Chad Kelly. They stay above 9500 and then they just fight with him and then lose him in the Eastern Final.
Themes of Unity and Strategy in Argonauts' Win
00:03:13
Speaker
Just just every point this team found adversity. They found a way to get over it. ah One of the best Argo seasons I can remember in a long long time.
00:03:22
Speaker
Yeah, it had a little bit of everything to it. ah two of the Two of the words that they kept repeating at the celebration today, you mentioned one of them, adversity, and the other one was family. And the two kind of go together, because you're able to come together as a family through adversity. And that's exactly what the Toronto Argos did throughout the season, and it encapsulated in the great cup. And it was just, like we said, you know we'll get into the into stuff, but it was it was perfect from the Argos, right from the start of the game, like you said, the two went out.
00:03:52
Speaker
you know there I was worried about Dinwiddie and his play calling and that in that first drive because you know Grant has a great return, takes just across the 55. They move it down, they move it down into first and goal and they get it to a third and goal from the one. And Dinwiddie sends out the special teams. and And I sent the text, hand up. I'm not i'm not afraid. I said, game's over. I said, it's we've lost the Argos have lost. You just can't come in with that mindset.
00:04:21
Speaker
But I guess Dinwoody had new, like it and it was that kind of game where like the first half, like you said, it was 10-9. So obviously a a touchdown would have been nice, but if they didn't get the touchdown, 10-6 looks a little ah lot different, momentum swings in that game. So I guess looking back on it in hindsight, Dinwoody definitely made the right decision, even though he he still has taken some heat for it, but just getting the points on the board,
00:04:44
Speaker
getting a lead in the Great Cup and just kind of sending a message to Winnipeg and say, hey, we're going to be in this game. We're not going to roll over and you're going to be in for a long night. And they definitely were. Yeah, that's a perfect way to start out the game recap, because ah if you do, you know, go pointless on that drive, that's a bad. It's got to be bad for morale. You you march down the field. you Like you said, you get a great return.
00:05:07
Speaker
And then you if you do come away with that drive with zero points, I'm a big, big proponent of going forward on third down, especially third and one in the CFL. ah But that that was one where i I like to see the points get on the board as disappointed as I was um with not getting a touchdown there.
00:05:24
Speaker
um but you know Going into half, Benji Franklin gets a huge interception. That was where, you know, we said pregame, you got to win the turnover battle. That was when the first domino kind of fell. You saw a close under throw that one. He jumps up and gets it. They go down one point in the half and they were the team that made halftime adjustments. I mean, this was a second half game.
00:05:47
Speaker
and even Bombers fans were incredibly incredibly ah you know harsh on their coaching because Buck Pierce and Michael Shea made little to no second half adjustments in that game and the Argos they were on top of shit going into that second half Uh, the turning point in it, the first turning point in the, in the game, obviously is when, uh, our buckle almost fumbles in the third quarter, the Castro recovers it and the next play, Frazier. So pick strips, lucky whitehead on the punt return. Whitehead has had a tough season punt returning, you know, he is a wide receiver and I, I don't think he has a great knack for punt returning.
00:06:27
Speaker
um But on the very next play they find Kevin Mattel who finds the end zone and puts the Argos up 1710 That was a huge turning point for me to just get it get a turnover and get in the end zone immediately That's a winning formula Yeah, took a full touchdown lead. They converted the two point. It was 1710 after that. And they basically just kind of rolled that third quarter there. I think there's a couple of things you could point out. Oh, so they didn't get the two point conversion. I forgot this was my first turning point. It was the Rouge by John Hagerty just to tie that game up. See 1010 on the scoreboard to start the second half. I think that's just huge for morale. And then for me, this is is.
00:07:08
Speaker
Not the entire game, but I think a large part of why you saw the the Argos dominate the second half was that Kalaros finger injury. Kalaros was on the record saying you could see the inside of his finger, looked very gruesome, got stitched up, and you know we saw we saw terry Terry come in there as a quarterback. Terry Wilson. Terry Wilson looked like he was dying to throw an interception when he was in there and probably should have, but got away with one. They were able to score a field goal off of that drive.
00:07:37
Speaker
but After that, when Kalaros came back in with that glove on his hand, Damien, he couldn't throw the ball. It was the second he let that that ball go that first throw back, um when he returned from the injury, had the glove on his hand, you could tell immediately that there was just no juice on that ball when it came out of his hand. It was floating in the air and then it led to three second half interceptions from Kalaros.
00:08:01
Speaker
That is another thing that could go into Mike O'Shea and Buck Pierce where it's like, hey, maybe you should bring in Terry, Terry Wilson. You get, cause he had some likes. He was running the ball a little bit. You could tell he was, you know, how to more lively arm than what Kalaris was bringing to the table. But I guess Kalaris was too much of a gamer and he just didn't want to come out. And, uh, I think that definitely played a part in what you saw with the 24 fourth quarter points from the Toronto Argos.
00:08:27
Speaker
Yeah, Mike O'Shea and Buck Pierce got viciously outcoached in this game, and I saw fans drawing comparisons to last year. Last year, he wouldn't sideline Adam Big Hill, who was very clearly injured. And Big Hill was part of the reason that they gave up that late, you know, backbreaking touchdown to Montreal, who won on that play. This year, he refuses to sideline Kalaros.
00:08:50
Speaker
who was clearly not fit to be throwing the ball in that game and it bites them in the ass. ah For Buck Pierce, after the Claros injury, they still didn't run the ball. like yeah Like you said, Terry Wilson was dying to throw an interception and they just kept making them throw it. um They just abandoned the run game. all of era had 84 yards in this game, he was at nine carries and 80 yards. So he he was running the ball well. He was gashing the Argos when he was given the chance. They just stopped giving him the ball. he There was a shot of him late in that game where he was clearly like visibly frustrated on the sideline ah and kind of pissed with the game planning. And and that was it. they They had vanilla play calling at the worst times. They had aggressive play play calling at the worst times. like they just
00:09:37
Speaker
they could not get the game script on the right plan here. you know Their DC is calling three man rushes all game on defense. Nick Arbuckle was allowed to look like a world class quarterback. He had all the time in the world to throw. They didn't change that strategy the entire game. It's hard not to point to coaching. Obviously, Kalaros didn't have his best game, but it's hard not to point to coaching in this one.
Argonauts' Defensive Prowess
00:10:01
Speaker
Yeah. And like they kind of had our buckle yet. I thought our buckle at a perfect first half was a 15 of 18, like making easy throws, making the correct decisions, not turning the ball over. We saw a glimpse of it in the third quarter. He had, he had that arm point that was just nowhere near his intended receiver interception. Your turning point with the fumble that was eventually recovered by the Argos and he had another interception in there. So like,
00:10:26
Speaker
There was opportunities that the boom bombers were able to get, but then they just kept coming away with field goals off the turnovers. And if you weren't getting into the end zone, the Argos eventually you know kind of broke the dam and they started getting into the end zone later in the second half. And you're right, like that was kind of the difference to me. And it was clear that the Argos We're committed to stopping the passing game from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. they like and And for you know Buck Pierce, Mike O'Shea, not to figure out like, hey, they're kind of giving Brady Oliveira some running lanes here. And we're we're having success with the running games. like they were commit Kenny Lowler had seven targets, only came away with two receptions, 27 yards.
00:11:04
Speaker
Nick Demsky also had seven targets. He only came away with two receptions in 18 yards. on Ontario Wilson had a good game. Absolutely. But for the most part, the Toronto Argonauts were very successful in stopping the passing game and they were allowing some rushing yards and they were playing that Ben, but don't break defense that we saw in the Eastern semifinal against Ottawa a lot. And eventually like it just kind of happens. And it was the same kind of thing where in the second half, they started feeling like the the blue bombers started to feel like they needed to get more chunk plays.
00:11:33
Speaker
and they started to have to play catch up. And when they're starting to throw the ball a ton, the Argos DBs were just there to pick it off every time. And that was a huge difference in this game. Yeah. Friend of the program, Charlie George, who was a DB back in his St. Mike's football days, commented, ah you know, the Argos DBs played out of their skull in this game. And that was one of our big key points going into this game was the secondary and the DBs were going to have to have their best game of the season.
00:12:00
Speaker
And you could say that they did like it. They were all over the field. you're You're so right in that they very clearly in the game plan committed to stopping the passing game and Winnipeg just never caught on, you know.
00:12:12
Speaker
especially after that Kalaros injury I just still can't believe that like his his first throwback under thrown Deshaun Amos picks it off the second drive back he throws which which really was like the ceiling play of the game the 61 yard pick six to Preaster Argos go up 34 16 and just never looked back after that And then after that, the third drive, Winston McMahon is has almost a 60-yard pick six, ah gets stopped right on the goal line, Kerry punches it in 41-16, game over. like it it was It was so clear from that point on that like that the Argos outcoached the hell out of them and just outplayed them in every aspect of the game, 24 fourth quarter points. They had four straight scores, field goal, touchdown, interception return, touchdown. just
00:13:02
Speaker
absolutely sealed the game without a doubt. um After the game, you know, we went back and forth a bit, weren't really sure who was going to get and MVP of that great cup. I mentioned McManus. He was a monster that night. I thought he would have been a very, very um deserving candidate. He had six tackles. He was breaking up passes all over the night. Obviously, the huge interception to seal the game, ah but they gave it to Nick Arbuckle, which Given the context, I don't have a problem with. that That is one of the hardest things you can do as somebody who was mostly a third string quarterback for most of the year. ah He finishes 26 of 37, 252, two touchdowns, two interceptions. The first interception, arm punt like you mentioned. ah you know You're going for a deep shot, I'm fine with that. Second interception was really just an incredible play by Willie Jefferson who, if Winnipeg had won, it would have been the MVP. He was a monster.
00:13:58
Speaker
ah one of, if not the best performing player in that game. um But our buckle was perfect in the first half. Like you mentioned, go seven for seven in the first quarter. He threads the needle to percent for a huge touchdown in the fourth quarter. Nine different receivers touch the ball. Just a great story all around with our buckle.
00:14:17
Speaker
Yeah, he he's had to overcome a lot. It's another another player that, you know, exemplifies the adversity in the family that the Argos have had to you know go through and rallied around throughout the season. He basically thought he was done playing football, had to kind of talk his family into coming back and playing again. And I think he I don't think he's going to regret a thing. And hopefully his family doesn't either, because hopefully these moments getting the MVP winning a great cup as a starting quarterback in in that game, it's got to be amazing for a guy like that who is basically you know, passed away. He no one wanted him. The Argos had already given up on him in a way had to bring him back early again the season because of, you know, what was happening with their quarterback situation. Yeah, it was very impressive from our buckle. He did everything that was asked of them.
00:15:03
Speaker
Yeah, it wasn't perfect, but no one expected it to be perfect, right? And he didn't have to be perfect in this game. He just couldn't be bad and he wasn't. And yeah, absolutely. I think this was a, a worthy MVP in this game. And, uh, for the most of Santa Canadian, I thought they also hit the nail on the head with Dijon Brissett, uh, brother of O'Shea Brissett. So that's just a family that just breeds champions. Apparently all they do is win.
00:15:25
Speaker
They had a great interview with Claire Hannah after the game with O'Shea and Dijon together. That was fun to watch. Another just family adversity. It was clear that this Argos team, like they they were rallying behind a greater message and they were just truly a team. And like when you kind of get a peek behind the curtain of what was going on on inside this locker room, it really wasn't a surprise at all that they came away with this great cup.
00:15:49
Speaker
no not at all and i love that shadow to preset because he's the guy who always gets a little overlooked in this receiving room when you got guys like davaris daniels and demante coaxie last year curly gittens like it he was always the you know the odd man out sometimes so it's huge to see him have You know a big game three receptions 45 yards obviously that huge touchdown late in the fourth quarter ah today at the championship rally ah He steps on stage to do his speech and he just tosses a full bottle of champagne into the crowd Which I can only guess smashed all over the ground just immediately was so apologetic He's like, I don't know what I was thinking there that was
00:16:30
Speaker
I blacked out, I wasn't thinking. ah There was a lot of moments like that at the parade, but yeah, amazing for him to get that moment. Couple other, you know, MVPs without the trophy for the Argos, that game. Lirim Harulahu, what a ballsy performance from him. Almost gets his legs snapped from a play that I think the Bombers absolutely did on purpose there. like he They ran those those blockers directly into his leg. He was got up gave it right back to them He goes four for four on field goals four for four on extra points along a 45 Clearly injured, ah you know, he steps off the plane with the BMF belt on his shoulder Just a great performance from him
00:17:12
Speaker
Yeah, I he was definitely banged up. I think there is also a little bit of acting in there. I think I think the dramatics because it was it was it happened on his second field goal in the first half. And then obviously, Claro stores the throws the interception. Argos come back and it was like, is our is the kicker going to be OK? Is he going to be good? And then you just see him the most exaggerated limping. Let me go. This guy's not going to be able to make like kick the ball. And then he just drills a 45 yarder.
00:17:42
Speaker
Uh, it was, it was amazing. You need special teams, all facets of your team. You saw a grant with a great, he was ah such an underrated pickup that was late in the off season. Basically like right at the start of preseason, they, there are goes pickup generic on grant who had made an instant impact for this team. All season was most outstanding, a returner in the CFL. And he came through again through the entire playoffs, had a touchdown against Montreal. Like we mentioned last week, that kind of turned that game around.
00:18:11
Speaker
And then just play after play, he was so reliable. John Hagerty with the with a Rouge. Every every part of this Toronto Argonauts team was operating at their highest potential. And it it showed on Sunday against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Argonauts' Dynasty Potential
00:18:27
Speaker
Yeah. Shout out to pinball Clemens, honestly, like because when you look at at how they got ransacked and free agency,
00:18:34
Speaker
So many questions around this team going into the season and pretty much every edition they made to this team worked out incredibly well. Kadeem Carey like comes back from the dead, like a 500 yard season, an injury season.
00:18:50
Speaker
comes back has a thousand yards immediately has an impact you know he was one of the Argos and MVPs for the entire season gets a touchdown in the final game 15 carries 79 yards he was getting five yards of carry and it always looked like he was gonna break the big one like he his long was 18 which was a huge play in the fourth quarter but it looked like he was about to break off 60 yard runs all night Yeah, that's another guy I would not have had a problem with if they gave him the Grey Cup and MVP. I know he kind of did a lot of his damage late. So might argue garbage time, but it does like the story of it and how long like I i saw, you know, Kadeem Carey comes up and everyone's like, oh, my God, kind of i forgot about him. Like love to see that he's still playing football and everything. So it's like, yeah, like these are there's a lot of good stories.
00:19:36
Speaker
on the Argos this year. And I think that they deserve more attention from what they've done. Like this is Toronto's best team, most successful team, one of the most successful pro franchises in North America. And it just feels like they're they're stuck in Toronto, right? And they kind of deserve better. So I don't know, feels good to give them some attention, though. Like this Argos team has been so fun to follow them through the ups and downs of the season. And it just and like getting the great cup after a year like this just makes it so special and I mean like this is potential dynasty we got going here Damien two and three years they had like in the year they didn't win it was probably their best team so it's they're not going anywhere I don't think no yeah let's let's do some dynasty talk because because this is you're right they are building something here you get two and three years a 16 win season the the year before uh that they didn't win
00:20:28
Speaker
I am in a disguise the limit if you're thinking of you know free agency coming up in the CFL who would not want to join this team after just seeing what they did like it's
Winnipeg's Grey Cup Loss and Future Challenges
00:20:40
Speaker
obviously money's a thing guys go out and try and get as much money as possible in the CFL um but if you're talking about attracting free agents to a city to a team to a coach that you know players clearly love playing for this has got to be the number one destination like you look at guys like Jake Sarazna you know pinball goes out makes a gutsy trade trades away a fan favorite and curly gittens and it pays off he he was one of the best defensive players in the league
00:21:09
Speaker
hadn't seen the playoffs once before. He was buried in Edmonton, wins a great cup on his first playoff berth, leads the league in sacks. He was key on that thirdlaros third chloro's third pick. It kept the pressure up all night. ah just Just you're right. like Great stories everywhere on this team ah and clearly building a legacy here in Toronto. On the opposite side,
00:21:34
Speaker
The broadcast wanted the Blue Bombers to win this game so badly. Like it it is... It was so clear they wanted Brady Oliveira to get you know the MOP, the o p the m most valuable Canadian Grey Cup MVP. like They just wanted to stack his accolades. And Winnipeg becomes the team now that loses the big game. You get to five straight Grey Cups, you win the first two, and then you lose three straight. A lot of Buffalo Bills comparisons going around here, you know the Bills of the 80s here in the 90s.
00:22:07
Speaker
and Winnipeg fans now calling for Pierce to be fired for for huge changes like just a melting a mind melting wind for Winnipeg here that is blowing shit up over there.
00:22:18
Speaker
I think the bills are a great comparison to what the what this era of the Blue Bombers have been and five straight great cops, two wins, three losses. It's tough, man, because it's three losses in a row now. You were favored in all three match ups by a pretty sizable margin and you just have nothing to show for it.
00:22:40
Speaker
It's tough, man, because like there's clearly nothing really wrong with the team. They're good. They dominate the West. They get better as the season goes along. They have key veterans and leaders on this team that you know find ways to win when it matters the most, except in the one game that matters the most. So I don't think they should be freaking out and firing everybody, but it does feel like every time you lose one of these, the window gets smaller and smaller and smaller.
00:23:08
Speaker
and you're gonna have to start losing free agents eventually you might have to make some trades just to get some new voices into a room. But i don't think i can call it a dynasty i'm i'm willing to say that cuz you you've lost three in a row it's i know you've gotten there and you dominate the west.
00:23:24
Speaker
But that doesn't mean dominating the West doesn't mean you're the best team in the CFL because you got to go beat the East. And the East clearly is more of a ah challenging conference division to play in. There's more turnover. There's more you know competition in it where it feels like the West, like you got Edmonton at the bottom, Calgary at the bottom. Nice to see Saskatchewan kind of get going a little bit this year. BC made their own issues throughout the season.
00:23:51
Speaker
something's got to change in Winnipeg, but I don't think it should be a drastic move. No, I agree. I think that they they do need to get rid of Buck Pierce. You can't call a game like that and keep your job. It's just it's not congruent. ah they They have a long off season ahead. ah Tweet from Ed Tate, Winnipeg writer. They have twenty 28 potential free agents, including guys like Big Hill, Sergio Castillo, Tyrell Ford, Willie Jefferson, Kenny Lawler, Dalton Shone, Chris Treveller, Nick Taylor, Lucky Whitehead, Kyrie Wilson, like the best players on their team. They're all going to have to go out and try to find ways to resign them. And I see, you know, a similar offseason coming up for them that the Argos just went through. Like there is a
00:24:40
Speaker
big potential for the rest of the CFL to just feast on these Winnipeg free agents. Yeah, that's great insight there because there's going to have to be changes. There's no possible way, especially with guys like Kenny Lawler, Willie Jefferson, those are big names that are going to demand some big money and free agency. And you already have a lot of money tied up in your big names with Kalaros, Olivera, you know, list goes on and on in Winnipeg.
00:25:03
Speaker
changes will have to happen. We'll see if any, any coaches get fired, but clearly there's going to be roster turnover and we'll see if they can kind of do what the Argos did where like, you know, you got to make sure you find the right guys that are going to buy in and fit into this team and then just fill in the holes throughout free agency, maybe make a trade or two chip away through the draft. But yeah, clearly this is not going to be the same Winnipeg blue bombers team that they're going to roll out in 2025, 2026. Yeah. Big, big, uh, Big offseason to handle if you're Winnipeg brass here a couple, you know facts to to close this out here um Argos stay in undefeated 9 and 0 versus Winnipeg in gray cups goes all the way back to 1927 the Argos have now won eight straight gray cops goes back to eight 1987 here We said it during the game all the Argos do is win gray cops you get to the get the big game They win them like it it is
00:26:00
Speaker
far past being a trend now. It is just the book now on the Argos. If you can find a way to get to the Great Cup, you're gonna find a way to win the game. Yeah. And, uh, you know, Ryan Dinwiddie fun, another fun fact for you though. They lost to BC late in the regular season. He, uh, he hid some money in the coaching room under, under the chair, I believe he said, and he collected it after the gray cup victory. So like once again, just like clearly this Argos team wanted it more. They were destined for this. And, uh, yeah, it was just nice to see it come to fruition. And like I said, 19th gray cup.
00:26:35
Speaker
This team is so successful in Toronto and they deserve more flowers. Maybe turn those TFC tickets into Argonaut tickets at BMO field. Yeah, TFC fans can't imagine 19 wins over a couple of years, let alone 19 championships.
00:26:52
Speaker
um Yeah, we saw today at the championship rally, you can get seasons tickets to the Argos for two hundred and fifty dollars. So anybody who's thinking about getting into the CFL, ah you can be at the games all season long for 250. So probably the best deal. Actually, it has to be the best deal in the entire city. And yeah, I hope this really like starts to build something. You know, we went to the the championship rally in 2022, only like a month or so after this podcast had started ah today, noticeably more people and noticeably younger crowd. So like you can see that they're building something here and the winning, you know, there's no better recipe for building something than just winning games, winning championships. that It is the number one tried and true method.
00:27:42
Speaker
Yep, winning. Winning absolutely cures all a lot of females there as well, which is surprising. Maybe we can boost our female audience. If you're listening, we would love it. We're all in big CFL pod. ah We're not going to stop here. Well, we'll be back when the season comes around next season. Yeah. Is it June yet? It it always hits you on great cup Sunday. You're like, damn, I got to wait till June for more more CFL football.
00:28:04
Speaker
it's It's like that comes around the daylight savings and then it's just like, oh my God, we have to get through these last what, six, seven weeks of the NFL before the playoffs start because you know, half the league's kind of already out of it. Half the league is just kind of waiting for playoffs. So it's, it's kind of this, you know, we're in limbo right now until Christmas, but we'll we'll make it everyone. It'll, it'll be okay. Just hold on world juniors around the corner. We got good things coming up here.
00:28:29
Speaker
Yes, we do, including college football. That is something that I'm sure a lot of our listeners will be fired up for that will kind of replace the CFL that's been at the end of these episodes. ah We'll get heavy into college football talk.
00:28:43
Speaker
12-team playoff. It's already just anarchy out there on the internet. a Big weekend up here for Ohio State. I might become an Indiana Hoosiers guy. I don't know. Curtis Rourke's got me feeling some sort of way here. I'm excited to watch that game. Kurt Signetti's got something going on there. Just signed the eight-year extension with the Indiana Hoosiers.
00:29:03
Speaker
It's a fun team to root for. Uh, they got, they're probably the best story in college football this year. We'll see if this is a, I can transfer because it's an older team. It's a lot of transfers, a lot of guys from JMU and like kind of group of five schools, like your, like your boy Rourke. Um, but no, I think Signeti's building something special kind of wherever he goes. And it just happens to be Indiana right now. Yeah. So take stay tuned in the next coming weeks.
00:29:28
Speaker
ah for college football talk ah but with that we will sadly sadly move off of great cop talk here and move into nfl week eleven weird week in the nfl lot of blowouts couple good games but a lot of weird ones um some trends across a lot of the games like a lot of huge touchdowns in this week like going through each game like 98 yard touchdowns 87 yard touchdowns like a whole handful of 60 yard touchdowns just seemed like there was big plays everywhere ah in the NFL this week
00:30:04
Speaker
it's yeah It's getting to that time where like teams get desperate in games and they're just able to draw more plays up. And I think a lot of it is you're finding these teams that are 500, just below 500, maybe a game above 500, fighting for playoff lives that are willing to take a lot more risks now offensively and defensively than they were maybe even special teams. We saw it with the Cowboys. did They clearly were desperate for a win. They come they come out with a fake punt, failed horribly.
00:30:32
Speaker
It's teams are getting desperate and you're seeing that and I think that kind of results in these these massive splash play touchdowns that we're seeing Yeah, I would agree. Well, well perfect launching off point there Texans 34 Cowboys 10 Monday night football ah the Texans never trail while handing the Cowboys a fifth straight loss and ah The Texans stop just the second two-game losing streak in Stroud's two seasons. They keep a two-game lead over the AFC South. ah Even though at points it looked like it might be a game, ah the Texans always had control of this one and it is just a full-on spiral in Dallas, man.
00:31:12
Speaker
The Dallas Cowboys now have a five game losing streak. It is their second longest losing streak since they lost seven games in 2015. Jerry's world is falling apart. We got so debris falling from the sky, Damien. We almost couldn't have this game. I don't know if Jerry meant to do that. Did this on purpose just to say, Hey, you know, maybe delay an extra week for my boy Dak and CD lamb wasn't a hundred percent. They needed an extra week to push this.
00:31:37
Speaker
but it didn't work. They were exposed once again on national television and they're still looking for their first home win of the year. The Dallas Cowboys are turning into a tire fire in front of our eyes and this was a team that You know, they're built off the regular season and I think they have kind of over you know over overex exceeded expectations a lot. I know it's funny to say that with the Dallas Cowboys who always seem to flutter out in the playoffs, but they just kept winning the NFC North. 10-11 wins, ah double digits, Dak would throw his name into MVP contention every once in a while.
00:32:12
Speaker
That's all gone. And you got one weapon in CD lamb and Michael Parsons on the defensive side of the ball. And other than that, everyone seems replaceable on this team. Damien, it's there's no leaders. It's Dallas Cowboys are one of the worst situations in the NFL and having an owner in GM like Jerry Jones only makes it worse. No kidding, man. Like what a funny thing to do after Sun Gate to be like, this is the week we opened the the roof for the first time in two years. like it's You can't make this shit up man like it it is the perfect
00:32:46
Speaker
encapsulation of the Cowboys season. They try to do something flashy and it just falls apart literally in their face. ah ah Like we said last week, there is more insult stats to go around about the Cowboys than you could possibly even get to. ah They're the first team in NFL history to trail by at least 20 points in six consecutive home games. People must just hate going to these games by now. Like the most exciting thing ah in Jerry's world over the past three months has been Tyson v. Paul, ah which we will gladly not do a recap of for you guys. um But they flashed this stat on the broadcast last night. Dallas ah offense in the last three games at AT and&T, one touchdown. Houston's defense in the last game at AT and&T, one touchdown. Zach Martin and Tyler Smith, they both go down in the fourth quarter as if things weren't bad enough.
00:33:42
Speaker
ah Cooper Rush looks like he hates his life, man. Like he looks like he hates it out there. they They had like a little spark there and then they do the like a double fumble play that then Barnett takes all the way back 28 yards for a score to just seal the game. There was almost nothing good except for that 64 yard Terpin touchdown, which he maybe you could include in that list of players that you'd want to keep around. um But almost nothing good about this Cowboys team.
00:34:13
Speaker
Yeah, like you said, they were kind of hanging around in this game. that There were some positives be taken away. Aubrey nails is 64 yard field goal. Derek Barnett. We we get a head slap penalty. First time I've ever seen a head slap penalty only called, and that's actually how they called it too. They go 15 yards.
00:34:31
Speaker
head slap penalty, not even just personal foul, head slap. So that was quite the call. um ah Probably worthy of of the flag that was thrown. That was a nice, nice contact. and And then they go down the field and it's like, okay, the the Cowboys are going to put more points on the board here. This game's going to get tighter.
00:34:51
Speaker
and then Cooper Rush throws an interception and then and then their stick they're still hanging around hanging around and then like you said the Derek Barnett double fumble then the game was officially over Texans were covering the spread like don't don't worry all Texans betters it was all good but it was hairy there for a second and you got to think if if they were able to you know execute and not turn the ball over and find ways to even just win lose this game respectively Damien cover a spread the seven and a half point seven whatever you got at there could be some positive taken away but now it's all negatives the trade deadlines already passed so all these guys are stuck with them
00:35:29
Speaker
I think Cooper Russia just retire and force them to play Trey Lance just so we can see because what you need a spark Dallas at least Trey Lance can use his legs and you have some sort of threat at quarterback that can you know keep you a little bit more honest but you have no running game you always want to throw the ball to CD lamb Jake Ferguson's concussed now you've lost two offensive linemen just just throw Trey Lance in there, see what happens. If it's bad, you go back to Cooper rush, but they Dallas Cowboys are finito done. So like any, ever, everything it's over for the Dallas Cowboys. Yeah. Lost season. How crazy is it that rush finished with 354 yards? All they're doing is throwing the ball. They can't run it. Yeah, it's so true. And and
00:36:15
Speaker
you notice like that lack of personnel so often in Cowboys games where it's like a play where 99% of the time you should be running the football and they're just terrified to too like all all respects to Rico Daudel but man they need a a solution so badly at running back like they go to Washington next Sunday Washington is just Even though that's a division game, Washington is just going to beat the shit out of them. Like, if I was a Cowboys fan, and I would just stop watching the games now.
00:36:48
Speaker
Yeah. You know, it's crazy when a divisional game, I believe is the biggest spread of the week. And that's, that's, that's tough luck for Dallas nuts. Let's focus on, on the the winning side here. Uh, the Houston Texans, you talked about teams that were kind of scared to run the ball in the Dallas Cowboys. I think the Houston Texans are getting too cute. I think you have an absolute workhorse and Joe mix in here. And there was several times throughout this game, you have a third and one, you have a third and two it's, it's third and short. They're rushing up to the line.
00:37:18
Speaker
and and snapping it in an empty set basically with CJ Stroud and one of them was like a slant to Joe Mixon as a receiver, one of them was a poorly thrown ball by CJ Stroud that resulted in an interception. There was several times in this game where I'm just like, why are the Texans not just hammering Joe Mixon? And I know he ended up with 20 rushes, 109 yards, but it could have been 150. Like it just could have been and it it would have saved some attention, some negative attention from Strauss. I still think there's some questions about what our, what our boy CJ is doing in this year. But at least when you have Nico Collins back, it opens up the run game a little bit and they should have just road mixing into the sunset. And this one I'm talking 30 plus touches, but hey, I mean, you can't apologize for the win, but I was just questioning some of D'Amico Ryan's decisions on these third and shorts.
00:38:08
Speaker
no i totally agree because what better way to like take a bit of a load off your quarterback who is clearly going through a bit of something a bit of a slump ah than to just like have a full running game plan like they they weren't stopping him like he had three touchdowns 109 yards like it was That the times that the Texans looked bad in that game and looked like, you know, it was kind of giving the Cowboys life was when they were forcing passes like that. ah And, you know, I think that Nico Collins 70 yard touchdown or whatever that got called back on the very first play of the game almost sent them down that path, like we should be passing it a lot tonight.
00:38:46
Speaker
Um, but they had the most success of the game on running it. So yeah, it's, I feel like the jury's still kind of out on D'Amico Ryan's. Like he seems to be a good head coach, good, good leader of men. People seem to really want to get up to play for him, but it's little decisions like that and little decisions over that two game losing streak that they had. I can't believe they lost to the Jets, man. Like it's, it's, it's those little things that give you pause to truly believe in him as a head coach.
00:39:12
Speaker
Yeah. And Stroud, he just hasn't had that game yet. That's like, Hey, I'm, I'm, I'm here. Like I never went anywhere. I know I had a couple of bad weeks, but I'm still that guy. He was 23 of 34, two 57 and an interception. No throwing touchdowns. It's like, Hey, you know, maybe the Cowboys would have been a nice one to boost your confidence. Maybe that's what they're trying to do on these, you know, third and shorts, the fourth and short.
00:39:34
Speaker
And I get you know Bobby Slovak's calling the plays, but I gotta think D'Amico Ryans is the one you know being like, hey, we're going for it on fourth or like, hey, I want this on the third and short. Sometimes less is more. And I think D'Amico Ryans will learn that as he goes on. He is a defensive minded head coach, right? So I think the offensive game will come to him and it'll be a feel thing as he continues his journey as an NFL head coach.
00:39:58
Speaker
but you know there was some questions to be taken away from the Texans in this game but I don't want to be too hard on them because they did demolish the Cowboys yeah that I don't want to I don't even want to talk about the Cowboys anymore so we will move to Chargers 34 Bengals 27 Sunday night football So so exhausting to finish watching that great Cup and then turn this game on and it's just like a absolute car race. um But Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers, I would say, finally get their signature win. This was what we were talking about last week. We talked about a measuring stick, all those things needing, you know, a defining win ah to give this team some identity. And that and this was it. It almost wasn't, though. They squandered a a twenty one point third quarter lead
00:40:46
Speaker
JK Dobbins finishes off a like beautiful, beautiful drive right at the end of this game, 84 yards on four plays in 26 seconds to finish this game off. Ladd McConkie gets two huge catches, 28 and 27 yards. He finishes with a career high, 123. So they had they had all the makings of a signature win here, just almost didn't.
00:41:11
Speaker
almost didn't his right, blew the, blew the 24 to six halftime lead. And it it happened real quick too. It was the third quarter. it It felt like the Bengals just decided to start trying on offense. Almost T Higgins over the top. Jamar chase over times. Everyone on the Bengals ah offense was getting touches all night, especially in the second half. But that Bengals defense is, is God awful. They have Trey Hendrickson and that's about it. And, and it's a team that,
00:41:40
Speaker
You know, kind of reminds me of the Brandon Staley led Chargers, Damien. it's It's a game where, or sorry, a team, the Bengals, that are in every game. All their losses are basically by one score, but they just always find ways to lose it. And that's exactly what the Chargers were. Basically the entire time Brandon Staley was their head coach. You look at the team, you look at the roster, you go, how does this team lose? They have a great defense. They have a great quarterback. They have playmakers on offense.
00:42:07
Speaker
and they're they're eight nine they're eight and eight they're not making the playoffs deter the tables have turned that the Chargers have a competent head coach that knows how to win games tight in the fourth quarter and the Bengals and Zach Taylor Questions are starting to come up a little bit because clearly you're losing this locker room. I think Jamar Chase was like, yeah, it's not my responsibility to call the plays. I'm out there making plays, doing what I can. So there's something happening with this Bengals team where they can't find ways to win games. But I point to that. I also point to if you have a bad defense and you're making miscues on special teams, Evan McPherson had two missed field goals in this game.
00:42:46
Speaker
Then you're not a complete team. You're a good offensive team. You're not a complete team. And it makes sense why they are at four and seven. And I would say they have to run the table to make the playoffs and finish at 10 and seven. and Yeah, that is such a perfect comparison to to this daily chargers in so many different ways. like burrow leads the league in passing yards and touchdowns jamaar chase is the nfl's leading receiver burrow throws for 356 and three touchdowns chase has 75 yards and two touchdowns and they still lose like it is
00:43:20
Speaker
they can't find ways to win. They have five losses by seven points or fewer. You're right about McPherson. like He misses two huge field goals, especially the one late in the game that essentially just seals that. Everybody knew that the Chargers were marching down the field there and winning this game. ah And Cincinnati, man,
00:43:41
Speaker
Higgins, nine receptions, 148 yards touchdown. It it is a cursed season for them. And it's one of those seasons where it's like you got to point to the coaching like you just have to. It's one of those things in the NFL where if you have a roster like this and you're still not winning games, the common denominator, 95 percent of the time is coaching. You got people saying Ben Johnson is going to walk into the best head coaching position ever and take the Bengals lead, you know,
00:44:08
Speaker
head coach job already not great when those rumors already start floating around ah but yeah you're right about ah running the table as a Dolphins fan I loved seeing Cincinnati lose this game man like it was a breath of fresh air there ah you know just a little bit of more light there at the end of the tunnel there um but yeah just a a disappointing loss for the Bengals again ah yeah not so many questions out of Cincinnati here like it's it is just to to think that this team has four wins like they're obviously not as good as you know they thought they were going into this season ah but it it is the biggest like head scratcher in the NFL knowing the Bengals ownership no changes will be made Zach Taylor will be the head coach next year they stuck with Marvin Lewis
00:44:54
Speaker
for ages man ages and that guy would win he would actually win the AFC North and get into the playoffs and I think he lost every single playoff game he coached he didn't have a single playoff win for over 10 years uh so I think they're gonna stick with Zach Taylor even though I don't think I've never thought Zach Taylor was a good coach you know you'll You'll point to the Super Bowl appearance. I don't think that. I don't think that's him. I don't think there's anything to do with Zach Taylor. You wouldn't recognize Zach Taylor if you walk past him on the street. There's nothing about Zach Taylor that commands a locker room. So I think I'm out on him. Chargers.
00:45:29
Speaker
you're You're solidly in the playoffs, man. You're solidly in the playoffs. You survived your first real test of like the down the stretch kind of, you know, starts to get a little colder out there. Like, can you, can, will your style of play work against these better teams that, you know, you haven't been seeing earlier in the year? It does. And they put up points. I think a lot of questions were about their offense as opposed to their defense. Their offense looked good, man. It looks lethal and, and JK Dobbins,
00:45:58
Speaker
right move to score on that touchdown. I was gonna ask you about that just next. There's some good takes on the timeline here. Chris Collinsworth is yelling, go down, go down. When you see how many field goals have been blocked in the last two or three weeks, you have the game in your hand as a running back, running towards the end zone.
00:46:18
Speaker
it It is so clear to me that you take the score there. Like you don't put the game in your kicker's hands there or his feet. The only time you go down is when you already have a lead and you just want to finish the game on offense and not give them the ball back, kneel it out and just secure a for sure win. When what it's a tie game.
00:46:36
Speaker
And there's 18 seconds left. And like you said, kickers in the NFL this year have just been ah all over the place. So you don't know what's gonna happen. What if you, what if JK Dobbins went down at the five, like you said, botch snap, ah miss hold, kick blocked, takes it to the other way and you'll lose. Like it just get in the end zone. There's 18 seconds left. The Bengals had one time out. if You can't defend that. You probably don't deserve to win the game anyway. So I think JK Dobbins made the right move.
00:47:05
Speaker
Sometimes people and it can't separate like analytics from just like what's going on in the game here because that last two minutes was insane. There was four each team had two possessions within in two minutes. It made no sense. I think teams were just trying to win the game immediately. They were just throwing bombs, not taking any time off the clock. ah But the Chargers were able to take advantage of a missed field goal and just kind of went down the field, operated well. McConkie, Dobbins.
00:47:35
Speaker
Herbert Herbert's back in that in that top 10. I was skeptical laid the eyes on him. he He's he's good. He's a top 10 quarterback in the NFL and the Chargers improved to seven and three for the first time since 2018. I think in our NFL preview, Patrick, you said this was a team that wins five or six games. So They're past it now. I think I had seven because I think I said I think it was like eight nine nine and eight I said I think I have them at seven and ten. Okay um But I did did not have to make the playoffs. I know that I I will stand by that take I I still think I Don't know this Chargers team man, because I don't think the Bengals are a good team I don't I think that's a team that finds ways to lose games your defense kind of got exposed in the second half there and
00:48:18
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, we'll see down the stretch there. There's plenty more opportunity to prove it to me. But it looks like the Chargers are definitely going to be in the playoffs. Like they would have to you got to win two, three games. I think 10 wins will for sure get you in. If you get to nine, I think it's very up in the air in this AFC. Yeah. And they still have a lot of tough tests left in this season. They'll play Baltimore on Monday night and this week. Yeah, they got to go play Baltimore and then they have, you know, the Falcons, the Chiefs, the Bucks, the Broncos. So they have A couple of tough tests that they're still going to have to show people that they're not a team that you want to play in the playoffs. um But we will go now to my humble pie of the week. Bills 30, Chiefs 21 and I will admit
00:49:03
Speaker
I was wrong the bills are off of fraud watch fully and completely ah they won this game while only giving up seventy eight rushing yards that was the thing i pointed to most of the time ah but they beat an undefeated team seventy two dolphins popped to champagne ah they spoil ah the chief perfect season and yeah there's not much more to say this was a a commanding win in the sense that they didn't make the mistakes the bills always do They had a great game on defense. They got Patrick Mahomes off of his game. Bills are for real, man. So obviously, the our non-existent power ranking segment of the week, we you know lions Lions are holding that thing down until they look hoist the Lombardi at the end of the season. Are the Bills your number one team in the AFC?
00:49:55
Speaker
They are right now to me, man. Like the only other team that I like, I itch to put at that number two spot is the Eagles who are in the NFC. So when you asked me that question, like AFC, they are, I think I'm with you on that. The bills have proven to me and and I guess, you you know, eight and two, they're flying under the radar. Now they're at nine and two first in the AFC. Well, have they not clinched yet? Like, you know what I mean? It's at that point where it's like, okay, just throw the X up beside their name, put them in the playoffs, start printing the home playoff tickets.
00:50:25
Speaker
they're They're good, man. And my you know what my favorite part of this game was? They've learned their lesson. and Especially from years past against the Chiefs. 4th and 2 with 2.17 left in the game. You're up by 2, I believe. field goal would put you up 5 points.
00:50:42
Speaker
they They go, we're going for it. We're not putting the ball back. And Patrick Mahomes, his hands, Josh Allen with his envy, the crowning and MVP moment thus far in the season, 26 yard touchdown run to, you know, put it up to two scores, 30 21 final score. And, you know, there's some quotes, like they were aware. It's like,
00:51:02
Speaker
Anytime you give the ball back to Pat, that offense down six with the game on the line, I like their odds in that situation. So wanting six or seven points on our side to try and make it a two score game was crucial. That gets clear. It was obvious. And I had that same thought. I go, you do not want to just give Patrick Mahomes the ball back. And I know the second half turned into a defensive battle there, but when you have, you know, Josh Allen,
00:51:25
Speaker
put the ball in his hands, give him the chance to win the game, and they did. Yeah, they they you could tell coaching down to special teams, down to offense, down to defense. That was a game where it was like a culmination of kind of learning this Chiefs team and learning ah the mistake not to make. My jaw like dropped on that Josh Allen run like that.
00:51:45
Speaker
you say MVP moment like it felt like a Heisman moment like in college football ah and I've seen the the Dolphins get burned on that so many times that like and I was expecting that like you know what I mean I was expecting him to run I wasn't expecting that play but like I felt like everybody in the stadium knew he was running that ball and for the Chiefs to not really defend it You know, well, you know, not making tackles. The Chiefs defense showed some chinks in their armor there in that the end of that game is the first time they'd given up 30 points and like a zillion games like it was. I don't know what the actual stat was, but it was it was jaw dropping. um But yeah, to not have like a a proper spy on that um kind of showed some some weaknesses in the Chiefs defense for me. ah Johnson, the Chiefs corner man like that was an all time bad game for him.
00:52:37
Speaker
12 targets nine receptions allowed 103 yards allowed one touchdown allowed like it wasn't that you know the teams were scared of throwing to x Xavier McKinney it's that they are picking this guy apart so there are clearly you know some points of this Chiefs defense that don't look great on the Chiefs offense man like we You know it had a little Renaissance there we were like wow they are figuring this out. They're looking a lot better. They did not look great in that game Patrick Mahomes did not look great. He throws the late interception. ah There was a lot to not like from the Chiefs offense season low 259 yards from them.
00:53:18
Speaker
Yeah, and Kareem Hunt, they couldn't really get the running game going. like Xavier Worthy looked good. I guess if youre you know pick a bright spot on the Chiefs offense, definitely Xavier Worthy. Could have been a bill. um But DeAndre Hopkins, only three catches. Travis Kelsey, what right when you thought his season was, hey, it's turning around. We got all pro Travis back. Yeah, I was two receptions for eight yards and just being invisible in the biggest game of the year. So not a good time for Travis to revert back to his early season struggles.
00:53:49
Speaker
for me though it was it was like the bills they were able to overcome missing Keon Coleman and don't concave two key pieces to possibly the best two receivers I know Shakir has been their most reliable target but maybe the two most talented receivers on that team even had Curtis Samuel Curtis Samuel of all guys like stepping up he almost looked like the number one receiver in this game he finished with five receptions 58 yards and a touchdown the The running game was weird to me with the Bills, because James Cook came out so hot in the first half, you know opening drive touchdown, and he and he's he's he goes into half with two touchdowns, and then he he finishes the game and nine carries 20 yards. It was just like, where'd he go in the second half? You're running Ray Davis and Ty Johnson. ah That's the only like question mark I had about the Bills was like, what what happened there? But I guess it didn't matter when when you beat the Chiefs. and
00:54:39
Speaker
All is good in bill's land yeah all is good in bill's land i would i also had that down like just where did james cook go like just disappeared it was weird i it felt like he was having a mix in game and that he had on monday night i was like okay you know cooks can have three four touchdowns a hundred yards and then you you just go he's invisible he's not out there.
00:55:00
Speaker
Yeah. So the, the chiefs, uh, they head into a bye week and then they come back with the pant. Oh, no, no, they come back to the Panthers. Bill's just head into the bye week. Um, chiefs, uh, big game against the Panthers next week. I, that an angry chief's team against the Panthers. That could be a ridiculous game. Uh, but the bills go on like ah no better way to go into the bye week, especially with the schedule they have coming up after that.
00:55:25
Speaker
they go 49ers Rams Lions. So it's like three big games for them. 49ers and Lions, you know, two teams that that are, you know, maybe not the 49ers, but premier teams in the NFC at least the past two years. So big, big win for the Bills, man.
00:55:42
Speaker
like you gotta feel big and as a big bills fan about that game now they just you know you gotta hope that you either don't run into them in the playoffs or you beat them in the playoffs because the last two times they beat them in the regular season the Chiefs have won Super Bowls I yeah, it's like, yeah, Josh has done this in the regular season before. It's like, all right, now you have to do it when it matters, Josh, because it's crazy how many times he's already played Kansas City. I saw his name, I think. Yeah, it's four and four. I was like, I'm that shocking. I would have guessed like two and three or something like that. But yeah four and four against Josh builds exercise, some demons carry it, you know, carry that momentum forward into the playoffs, hopefully. Yeah, we will move on to an exciting game recap here.
00:56:27
Speaker
Patrick last week after after a couple weeks of saying this is the game. This is the game This was the game to tell if the Steelers were real news turns out Lamar Jackson in the Baltimore Ravens still haven't figured out how to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers have won seven of the last eight games against Baltimore Steelers 18 Ravens 16 How are we feeling vibe check?
00:56:54
Speaker
Couldn't be better. ah Steelers are still your daddy, Baltimore Ravens. It's really never changed. It's always been that way. I've never been scared of Lamar. Lamar just lamar is a bully. He beats up on little weak opponents. Then when it's playoffs or rivalry games,
00:57:12
Speaker
Where'd you go? you're You're bad. When you have to face someone your own size, your own strength, your own skill, you just, you turtle and you go away and you revert into this player that is almost unrecognizable from when you are, when you play, you know, I don't know.
00:57:28
Speaker
the the carolina panthers i was yeah i wanted to see the raiders but they lost to the raiders earlier this year so yeah it was and the steelers did it without a touchdown without a touchdown it was it was a perfect afc north matchup people might criticize because of that touchdown no touchdown sorry but that's almost it almost makes it more impressive for me Russell throws the one duck. I was scared as hell when that happened. I thought, oh my God, we were running such a perfect, perfect program, not turning the ball over. Baltimore was the one making the mistakes. Russ throws that ball and then timely, timely, timely interception from rookie Peyton Wilson just rips the ball out of Justice Hill's hands and saying. If that was basically the game, once we got that turn or the Steelers got that turnover, hold me, hold me accountable. I can't be saying we on this podcast. Um, right when the Steelers got that interception, it was like, okay, you you know, it's, it's all even in the turnover battle and you want it. Um, but yeah, like it was just perfect. I think it's safe to say Chris Boswell is the number one.
00:58:29
Speaker
most dependent, reliable kicker in the NFL. I'm not going to tell you he's the most talented. He's not going to do Brandon Aubrey and kick a 70 yard field goal, but whenever you send him out there, I will guarantee that he makes a field goal even on the worst. but Tucker was complaining about the turf, but the guy you were playing against just went six for six playing on the same turf. so i I'm a little bit real me in a little bit. I'm pumped though This is the Steelers are eight and two now with the bills being the Chiefs They control their own destiny in the AFC one seat if they run the table They are the one seed not saying they will I very much worry about this game coming up against the Browns on Thursday night Just feels like a classic classic letdown for the Steelers, but I'm pumped last thing
00:59:12
Speaker
Uh, the Justin Fields red zone packages, like I've been asking for them ever since they made Russell the starter, it's becoming more and more evident that Russell hat wants to go to the corners. He wants to throw it, throw it, throw it. And you can kind of, you know, tell Russell's Russell's not mobile. So you can kind of like structure your defense around that. Justin Fields had two runs for 17 yards. It was like a free eight yards. Every time you put the ball on his hands and it makes the offense, you know, more dynamic. It makes the defense more accountable.
00:59:42
Speaker
I just want to see that come into play down the stretch here, but other than that beautiful win ah Steelers just keep passing every test they have had so far this year They really have like and people are starting to point to Steelers blood magic, ah you know Derek Henry never fumbles the ball fumbles Isaiah likely fumbles Tucker misses multiple kicks ah It's just like they they have the the blood magic now that the Chiefs have lost the game ah But yeah Baltimore finishes the season with or the the game with season lows in points and yards They had 12 penalties three turnovers like it is this was big-boy football and they failed this test kind of badly and and the Ravens have some bad losses this year so it's if anything this took a lot of sheen off of this Ravens team as well like I think they're almost falling like that rung below now of elite elite Super Bowl contenders now I think that the Ravens are kind of on the path towards you know
01:00:42
Speaker
losing another big playoff game this year. Lamar is now one in four as a starter against the Steelers. He has more NFL MVP awards than wins against the Pittsburgh Steelers in his division. This isn't a team they play you know once every other year. It's a team that he has two games scheduled against every single year He's got five touchdowns and eight interceptions in his career against the Steelers. um I mean, to to score that touchdown late with Zae Flowers and not have Derek Henry on the field for a two point conversion. What are we doing here, Ravens?
01:01:18
Speaker
a And it looked like they had a miscommunication to Isaiah likely in Nelson Aguilar, like arguing before the play about what to do. And then Lamar scrambles out and there's no one to throw it to in the end zone. Like those type of things cannot happen. Like it it starting to the leaks are showing here from a coaching perspective for the Ravens, too. Absolutely. Todd Munkin, welcome to the rivalry, pal. This isn't college football anymore. Like this is big boy NFL professional rivalries, probably one. It's The second, well actually no, Baltimore's, I always forget Baltimore's like a new franchise because they've come in and been elite basically since since their conception. It was tough, man. Derek Henry only had 13 carries in this game. in In an AFC North Baltimore Pittsburgh Steeler matchup and your lead running back who's leading the league in rushing yards only has 13 carries, that's not a recipe. And like you said, you just didn't have them in on on a must get two point conversion.
01:02:17
Speaker
and you just want to get cute and like the steelers stuff lamar in a box the entire game he had a couple passes and stuff but he couldn't run and it was the steers have always kind of been able to shut him down in the run game so when you draw up a lamar jackson run on a musket two-point play I was baffled because the Steelers clearly knew it was coming. You could see Joy Porter Jr. Nick Herbig was in there in half a second to so like blow it up. it It was brutal play calling from Todd Monken. And I eat like, if you're a Baltimore fan, you have to hope he figures this out because like that is not a recipe that you can do. You're not playing Cincinnati with no defense. Like that's, that was the most insane AFC North battle I've ever seen. Whereas like 27, 24, maybe they're in the thirties. Touchdown, touchdown, touchdown.
01:03:03
Speaker
this is what it's gonna be like and this was basically a playoff game this game the bills chief's game was a playoff game it like that it's tight scoring turnovers are gonna matter and trying to get into the end zone will matter Steelers were able to do it but at least they kept Baltimore out of the end zone so it's like it's a different style of football Todd Monken will have to adjust as the season goes on and they you know get into playoff games But it was clear that this Steelers team was ready for a fight and Baltimore kind of was operating as usual and wasn't ready for you know a step above test. That's a perfect way to describe it. They just weren't ready for this game. um Meanwhile, the Steelers were. um We will move to a game where it looked like another team wasn't ready for a divisional battle here. Seahawks 20 49 or 17 just when it looked like Seattle's playoff hopes might have been gone um Gino Smith puts together an insane 80-yard drive and gives the Seahawks a huge win their second win in seven games
01:04:06
Speaker
and the win moved Seattle into a three-way tie for second place in the NFC West with San Francisco and the Rams. They're a game behind Arizona. They still have both games against the Cardinals left. ah And the 49ers drop another divisional game, man. This is getting insane. Last in the division, ah one and three in the division, like you mentioned, dropped another one and five and five on the season.
01:04:34
Speaker
the It's trouble, man. These two teams that just played, I can't figure them out. i The NFC West as a whole is is chaos. It's our Cardinals looking good, looking solid, you know rough start to the season, ripping off a couple of wins. Big one next week against Seattle.
01:04:52
Speaker
But then I got Seattle. I keep thinking this team's dead, Damien. You hear me. I love talking trash about Geno Smith. No one I love talking trash about more. And this guy leads an 80 yard drive capped off with a 13 yard scramble to win the game against a division rival.
01:05:09
Speaker
I couldn't believe it but I this week I will respect Geno Smith I will not talk trash to you because you just went in and like not ended the 49ers but I mean man they this 49ers team like you got to get off the mat now because this is a new low for where they've been basically since the McCaffrey era has come in your five and five one and three division And where do you go from here? Because Brock had another, you know, not so good game. and Brandon Ayuk's obviously out for the year. McCaffrey still hasn't gotten back to that MVP caliber level that we're used to seeing from him. And it's just like this team's getting a little older. Devo Samuel's, you know, looking invisible out there. And there's just so many questions surrounding this 49ers team. And you know, we saw the stuff on the sideline last week or two weeks ago, whenever it was, you got to wonder what's going on.
01:05:58
Speaker
It's it seems like they're not, you know, coming together and rallying and it feels like a lot of individuals. And yeah, man, this is a game that was kind of inexcusable to lose from their perspective. And another one like you. There's no hot seat in the sense that Kyle Shanahan is going to get fired in any sense, but he's on a hot seat in terms of like not sleeping at night now going up. So I'd watch fraud watch Kyle Shanahan. Fraud watch Kyle Shanahan.
01:06:24
Speaker
Totally. ah they And guess what? Next week, to get off the mat, you gotta go to Lambo. got to go to Lambo to play the Packers in late November like it you could not draw up a worse get back spot than that oh and the next week then you got to go play the Bills on Sunday night football so it's like there is just a million million bad signs for the 49ers going down the line here they still got to play the Lions they still got to play the Rams the Bears the Cardinals like
01:06:56
Speaker
That there is teams here that they are going to have to have fantastic games against. And another game where Brock Purdy, if he doesn't have every ah ah fucking available option to him, every all-star option to him, he goes 21 for 28, 159 yards with an interception.
01:07:13
Speaker
TD pass in a TD run, but man, they couldn't. They just couldn't get the big score when they need it in this game. Just when you thought that they were going to kind of go ahead and be in great shape after stopping Seattle on back to back place for no game, then the 49ers couldn't run out the clock properly. They couldn't get a big first down when they needed it, and they just gave Geno Smith a chance to lead a comeback here like they another game where the 49ers can't close the game out.
01:07:41
Speaker
Yeah, I think you you put that really well, Damien. And for a lack of bad terms, I think you just called Brock Purdy a game manager. yeah And that's what he is. It's what he always has been. But Kyle Shanahan had built a perfect game plan, ah assembled a perfect supporting cast of all pro caliber players around him.
01:08:01
Speaker
And it was just quick so it was kind of like Miami's offense but he's not as good but you know 49ers had better almost athletes to use at their disposal than the Dolphins and it was just working so well but then you saw it man when you get to the playoffs and and like obviously they got to the Super Bowl but it just.
01:08:18
Speaker
They're flat. It's like you got to get over that edge and how Shannon's been there so many times. And, you know, this isn't the first podcast to put him on fraud watch. He's been on f fraud watch basically since he's been a head coach with the 49ers. And this is just another one where it makes you ask the question. It's like, dude, like you have to start winning these games and because then it will cut to a point, Damien, where you have to make a decision. It's like similar to the Blue Bombers. It's like you're not bad team. You're a good team and we're having success.
01:08:47
Speaker
One thing has to change to get us over that edge that we've been searching for, because coming into the season, is it not Super Bowl or bust as your expectations for 49ers? Now you're last in your division, you're two games out of a playoff spot and like the season's over halfway done. So something's got to happen fast. And like you said, it's not going to get any easier with the schedule they have going forward.
01:09:11
Speaker
I'm obsessed with comparing the 49ers to the Blue Bombers that is so awesome like especially you know they won in 2019 and they've only lost Super Bowl since and like it seems like the window is just snapping snapping shut coaching problems like that there are so many comparisons there that that is great to me ah but yeah it is It's got to be panic time. Like if you're a 49ers fan, you're hitting the panic button. If I'm sure if you're in the brass there, you're hitting the panic button because this team is no longer, you know, ah penciled in for an NFC championship game whatsoever. You're trying to scratch and crawl to the playoffs now where I, you know, I would like a lot of other teams as a favorite over them in a playoff game, which is not something you could say about the 49ers in, you know, the past three or four years. So.
01:10:01
Speaker
Something's got got to change here and these next two weeks could be bad. Like if you roll off two losses here and then you got to start playing your important divisional games going down the stretch and then play the Lions like it. It it could turn from bad to worse so fast for San Francisco.
01:10:19
Speaker
here Here I go. Here I go making a fool out of myself again, Damien. If the 49ers go 0 and 2 in the next two weeks, they will not make the playoffs. Yeah. I don't i don't even think that's crazy to say, but i it is definitely putting it out there. But who knows? Like we started this with, we don't know what any of these teams are. So it's like this team could go into Green Bay next next week and get like a big win.
01:10:41
Speaker
Yeah, the team they just lost to is the team I can't get on the right side of. Every time I think Seattle's dead, they get up off the mat. Every time I think, oh, you might have something going, they just revert back to Geno Smith getting sacked 10 times a game. So yeah these are two teams that They need to find their level, man, or just figure out what they are, at least because, you know, the fluctuation from when they're at their best to when they're at their worst is not going to get you into the playoffs right now. So these two teams need to start performing at their best in these last seven games down the stretch. Absolutely. One last thing. Jackson Smith and Jigba is turning into like a star before our eyes, like it it took a little bit, took a little, you know, couple, you know, a season, season and a half, but
01:11:26
Speaker
10 catches, 110 yards. like he Every time you looked up at this game, he was making a big play. Yeah, and it's a busy receiving room, right? Coming in there as a rookie, he was definitely the third third wide receiver in that room last year. Definitely overtaken Lockett as the number two. And I mean, you look over the past couple of weeks, I know DK had some injury problems there, but you could be looking at Jackson Smith and Jigba as the number one receiver in Seattle at the end of the season. Absolutely. It's not not crazy to say. I would believe that too.
01:11:55
Speaker
um We will move here to Packers 20 Bears 19. There honestly isn't a ton from this game, but there is at the same time. This was the most Bears way to lose this game possible.
01:12:09
Speaker
so many crying videos on Twitter like of course they lose on a block field goal just of course as soon as the offense is starting to look competent Shane Waldron's gone they looked way way more dynamic on offense and you lose in a heartbreaking fashion to the Packers they've now lost 11 straight games to the Packers it's insane to think about as a as a division opponent I think calling a franchise cursed is lazy, right? i think I think it's an easy out. I think it's an easy take to just be like, yes, like it's an excuse.
01:12:44
Speaker
You did the bears. The bears might have the best argument. They absolutely might have the best argument. And, you know, they once again somehow didn't make Damien eyes Mount Rushmore of bad or hopeless franchises. But if they keep rolling Eberflux out and I think, you know, it's if you know the bears organization, the pride is going to wait till the end of the season to hopefully fire Eberflux. But even that's not a for sure.
01:13:09
Speaker
thing that's going to happen you it's just all hoping that it's going to happen and if you look at the Bears history it wouldn't be shocking if nothing happened and they don't you know address anything in the offseason but yes this block kick is a perfect like putting a bow on what this season has been for the Chicago Bears because this is not the best situation a number one pick has ever walked into but yeah you're like hey Let's turn it around. We, we fired the offensive coordinator. We're bringing in a new play caller. Maybe it'll, you know, just be happy. It'll be better for Caleb, better situations, get the receivers to start buying in DJ more, you know, pretend you care, maybe down the stretch pretend.
01:13:49
Speaker
He pretended and and the Bears were looked competent in offense for the first time in weeks. They scored a touchdown for the first time in weeks. And just when you know you you think, hey, we're going to get a victory here over a long time rival, it's a new era in the in the rivalry between the Bears and the Packers.
01:14:06
Speaker
And the same old bear show up Damien. And it's like, like you said, it's like the game was back and forth. You know, Jordan love throws his interception that he throws every week. The new Josh Allen, we might call him from of last year. Kayla Williams isn't making mistakes. He's getting rid of the ball. He's making the right decisions.
01:14:23
Speaker
and they just still lose and it's just like, man, like, what do we have to do differently? And I think it's everything is the answer. You just have to change everything you're doing and maybe something will eventually change. Yeah, I think this game like put to bed the Tyson Bajant kind of like discussion that happened last week because Caleb Williams looked very good, like 23 for 31, threw for 231 and ran for 70. He was great on his feet in this game.
01:14:49
Speaker
He looked a lot calmer. They were getting the ball way quicker out of his hands. That was the biggest difference I noticed between Waldron and this week. they ran the ball great like DeAndre Swift look great in this game 14 carries 71 yards 39 yard TD Roshan Johnson had impactful ah touches got a touchdown that was their first touchdown since week eight at Washington which is just wild to say but yeah it was just finally a game where it like this was the best football the Bears have played in weeks and you still lost so it's just it's such a lost season and
01:15:24
Speaker
their their upcoming schedule, Patrick Vikings, Lions, 49ers, Vikings, Lions. i It's a nightmare. At least, you know, maybe they get and in a top 10 position. You can get, you know, the, the I forgot. blank cause name Will Campbell, Will Campbell at LSU, you know, start bolstering that offensive line
Caleb Williams' NFL Potential
01:15:46
Speaker
a little bit. Keep, just keep building because Caleb Williams is not a bust. i The talent is is too good and its and it shows through on Sundays. I think that's always the toughest part in in quarterbacks going from college to the NFL. It's like, yeah, you can look great on a Saturday, but now when you're playing in a bigger, faster, stronger league, will that talent still shine through? And it does for Caleb. He just hasn't you know been it put in the best situation.
01:16:14
Speaker
But like um' do you have anything else to say about the like the Bears? It's just like, yeah, they're in for a tough finish, for sure. and But like don't get down. Don't give up on Caleb. you know Try and get him and keep his confidence as high as possible. I guess it's not going to be through the roof. I would say you you almost start getting excited that you can get like a a top 10 pick. I was totally with you there. That's where your brain has to go here. They could go literally 0 and 5, 0 and 6 over their next six games.
Packers' Chaotic Offense and Playoff Uncertainty
01:16:40
Speaker
Packers though Josh Jacobs is a man possessed dude 134 yards from scrimmage 76 on the ground touchdown Christian Watson Randy Moss stat line without the touchdowns for receptions 150 yards ah Jordan love, you know leads a big drive to end the game scrambles for a touchdown very similar to Gino Smith there um and I thought there was a lot to like from the Packers in this game where, you know, they didn't put up a million points, but it was a win that they needed. And there were some parts of their offense that was like, OK, that is that is inspiring to see.
01:17:16
Speaker
explosive ah offense when they need it. Kind of chaotic at times as well though. This is a team that's coming flying under the radar for Medemia. There's seven and three now, and all three of their losses are two very respectable opponents, Eagles, Vikings and Lions. So obviously not the greatest division record, probably not going to win the division, but solidly in the playoffs here.
01:17:39
Speaker
I don't know what to make of them though ah it it feels like you know when you lose those three games those are three teams that are ahead of you in the standing and it kind of just puts you in this tier of like ah a playoff team but i don't know if It's a playoff team that's goingnna win a playoff game do you know like it it feels off and it feels like Jordan love hasn't performed his best this year. So maybe there is still They haven't reached their full ceiling or potential in this team and their defense is great It's been great all year long and you know defense will show up later on in the season when it gets cold But I I mean, maybe I can't quit the 49ers but I wouldn't be shocked if the 49ers went into Lambo and won that like it feels like this team has
01:18:21
Speaker
not not a problem because you know things are going fine, but I just don't trust them as a Super Bowl contender. Am I crazy for thinking that? No, I will say it's kind of a similar spot that they were in last year. like the The end of their season last year, ramping up towards the playoffs was where they really started to look impressive and really started to look like a team. And then obviously that playoff win over Dallas, like that was where they really started ramping up some waiting for that with this team I think you're right this is a team that's flying under the radar but the more concerning part for me is like Jordan love is through his lead leading league leading a eleventh interception matched his total from last year already
01:19:03
Speaker
and he's thrown at least one interception in every game. So it's like those are the things that will kill you in a playoff game that will kill you leading up to the playoffs. So that is like the most concerning thing for me about this team right now.
01:19:16
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's it's Josh Allen asked if with what he's doing in the in the turnover battle and you can't have turnovers and you know, it is about to get cold and Lambo and like how will that's got to help you getting some home field advantage if you can. They're not going to win. the They can't win this division, especially with two division losses already with who they're going against. So you're not going to get a home playoff game.
01:19:38
Speaker
So it's ah it's it's a tough spot and yeah I don't know, just keep winning and keep proving me wrong, I guess. I'm not doubting them. That's the thing. like i'm They're a playoff team, but I don't know what kind. There's something about this Packers team that won't let me fully buy in and be like, this is a team that can win the Super Bowl and cause some damage in the playoffs.
01:19:58
Speaker
Yeah, but that but then again, you know, didn't have a home playoff game last year either. So it's it's and ever you got to play the Cowboys yeah at AT&T. ah We'll go to our final full recap here.
Colts' Win and Identity Concerns
01:20:10
Speaker
Colts 28, Jets 27. The QB roller coaster continues as Anthony Richardson plays like one of his best games ever and wins the Colts this game on the winning drive.
01:20:23
Speaker
He goes and connects with Alec Pierce for 39 yards, Josh Downs for 17 yards, and then Richardson takes off and scrambles to win the game on you know a late, late go-ahead score.
01:20:35
Speaker
similar to like the Seahawks the Packers the Colts like all very similar wins um and he goes 20 for 30 for 272 a touchdown 32 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries you know he he wasn't perfect he had a fumble that kind of let the Jets get back into this game ah but man like another team I don't really know what to make of is the Colts I this this apology has an expire expiry date and it's going to last up until the next Colts game, but I'll apologize to Shane Steichen for this one time and one time only possibly. There needed to be a change, I guess. I didn't think the change should have really been had should have happened in the first place. But once you committed to Flacco, I thought you you had to commit to him for a month, like a four game period. But yeah, it was clear that Flacco was kind of
01:21:27
Speaker
Not helping you win games and I don't want to say directly losing games for you, but was definitely turn the ball over a ton and it was. It was tough for them to win games and Anthony Richardson came in and provided a much needed boost for this offense for this team. They rallied around him.
01:21:43
Speaker
but is this all just gonna go away next week when when it's like yeah okay he's starting a second game in a row then he just throws out his stat line and he's you know five of of 20 and we're gonna play detroit too exactly it's like it's it feels like shane steichen's gonna be he's like running a reliever pitching system he's like all right poem pull him pull him we need the fresh guy in there we need a we need a boost it's like pulling the goalie in nhl right it's like You're bringing guys in and out just to change the energy of a team. I don't think it's going to be sustainable. And this is another fringe playoff team that hasn't found their lane, their mojo and what what they are. And they they lack an identity. And it's just tough for me to take this cold steam seriously. Me too, especially when you look at who they're beating in this game, they're beating the Jets.
01:22:28
Speaker
you know, that who who were once again favored in this game. Insane, dude. The books, I don't know what the books are doing with the Jets, who what Rodgers has on major sports books, but I mean, he gets sacked twice by Quiddy Payne, who is one of my favorite names in the and in the NFL.
01:22:47
Speaker
um but sacked on the final drive in the clock expires like how many jets games have ended in a way like that where like either Rogers gets sacked looking really slow and the offensive line looks terrible or he throws a bad pick, or or just time expires. like It seems like I've seen that 10 times out of the Jets this season. They dropped their seventh in eight games, followed a one in five under Albrecht, and just like another like perfect Jets loss here, and they limp into the bye week. They fire their GM, Joe Douglas, today. Just what a mess, man.
01:23:24
Speaker
The final button, that's gotta to be the final button, right? The the fire GM button. Actually, the The last is sell the team. That's gotta be the last button. Woody Johnson. you yeah it's like It's like the nuke. It's got the nuke button. Woody Johnson has it and it's like, he's looking to take the seal off the button right now because he's on an island, he's fired everybody. It's basically him and Aaron Rodgers running the New York Jets into the ground.
Jets' Turmoil and GM Firing
01:23:53
Speaker
And it's like, this guy's got a little Jerry Jones to him, except he he's Donna, I guess, as much of a media hog as Jerry is. But yeah, serious problems in the Jets, again, because the amount of talent on this team and Aaron Rodgers going out this past week, being like, yeah, like I'll come back. I'll do it. It's like, dude, if you're a Jets fan, you don't want him back. You need to you know turn a ah new light to this team. You need something new, energetic, something to look forward to.
01:24:22
Speaker
Aaron Rodgers just has has a cloud over his head and now it's over the Jets and he's bringing everyone down with him. And like, like, that was a great point that you made where it's just like the Jets always finish on offense in a sad way. They never, you know, get a defensive stop to end the game or a walk off field goal. Like none of that happens with the Jets. It's like you said, it's like, oh, interception game over or hey, yeah, Aaron Rodgers, you're on the ground again and we're three and eight and it just hopeless, hopeless team.
01:24:49
Speaker
And you look at what happened in Green Bay if the Jets do decide like I if wouldn't if Woody Johnson's at the helm they won't but like the if they go and get a high draft pick this year and draft a quarterback, is he going to get all pissy and like walk away? Like, is is that going to happen again? See, he shouldn't because he's 40 years old and has done nothing, nothing good this season, but he would, you know what I mean? He would like take it personally and be like, what the hell? We had someone going, going good here, Woody. It's like, no, nothing that you have brought to the Jets has been good ever since you've come in. It's not that they were good before, but you somehow made things worse, Aaron. And that's impressive to do.
01:25:26
Speaker
And this is classic. This is like reminds me of when they lost to the Bills, where it's like Breece Hall, monster game. Devante Adams, great game. ah it Still tried to force feed Garrett Wilson. Eight targets, four receptions. But still, no 300 yard game for Rodgers. Still find a way to lose. like it it They have had so many similar game scripts this season. It's disgusting to watch.
01:25:52
Speaker
Yeah, and it's just the team that it's like, you know, I don't know why, but people expect something to change. It's it's not. And ah are they on a bye this week? I'm not sure. where They limp into the bye. So I was going to, I was going to, I was, I needed to see the line. It's, it's comedy. If they are going to be favored against any, the only team they should maybe be favored, but they've already played the Patriots twice. I was going to say the Patriots would be the only team I could, you know,
01:26:17
Speaker
fathom them being favored over but otherwise This is a team that's getting way too much respect from the books Like he said that the media still are holding out some hope for what a nine and eight season if they were on the table Which will not happen. This is a team at best. We'll get Five wins two wins left. Yeah, like I got two wins rest of the season I
Broncos' Surprising Turnaround
01:26:40
Speaker
agree. I agree. We will move to the quick hit section here. We will go pretty fast through these games because these were the real stinkers of the week. um We'll start very quickly. Denver 38, Atlanta 6. What an embarrassing loss for the Falcons, man. Wow. And I'm so out on the Falcons. We talked about it last week.
01:26:59
Speaker
um but I'm just fully fully out on the Falcons almost nothing to say they rushed for just 50 yards ah They ruled out eight players before the game. That is the one like shred of You know decency I'll give to the Falcons in this one is that they were hurt Mooney pulled a hamstring um We saw a little little Pinnix at the end. We saw a little Pinnix But yeah under the Broncos I might be becoming a believer as well because what a performance dude four touchdowns 307 yards against the big bad Falcons defense that everybody talks about in their secondary they went and swept the NFC South by 125 to 37 dude what this team's got a ah little mojo get to get up off the mat after that that win or that last second loss against the Chiefs impressive performance
01:27:51
Speaker
Bonex, man, it's crazy to say because if you watched him through his his college arc, it started out horribly, got a little bit better near the end with ah with with Oregon, but even still, I couldn't see any of this happening. And I don't have the exact odds with me. I was i was looking at him before. I think he was plus 250 or plus 400 yesterday, somewhere around there. When I mentioned that last week, he was 14 to one.
01:28:19
Speaker
So though I was a game ahead. I didn't bet it. i'm I'm upset with myself for not betting it, but it feels like Bo Nix has got something going with this team and Sean Payton's bringing the most out of them. And like, they'll keep winning, man, because this is a team that like, you got to hate like the dolphins. Like this is a team that you need Denver to start losing games. And I kind of keep waiting for them to lose games too.
01:28:41
Speaker
but I mean if Bo Nix is gonna perform like this and they're gonna get some running game that's the biggest thing with this Bronco's team they've really never had a running game all year long it's like when they win it's Bo Nix is you know ah having a hell of a performance so they can find a running game and Bo Nix continues his ways this will play off team and Bo Nix like commanders Worrying you're like weird spot where they're in where it's like obviously, you know, you should bounce back nicely against the Cowboys But we saw some cracks in in the commander's armor We'll see what this where this goes But I think bone X is certainly in the offensive rookie of the year race now. It's a two-man race
01:29:17
Speaker
Absolutely and then they go Raiders Browns by week Colts Chargers Bengals, so it's like and then Chiefs So it's they've they've got it ahead of here Like it it's getting to the point where it's gonna be harder and
Lions' Historic Victory
01:29:29
Speaker
harder to see them not in the playoffs um Detroit 52 Jacksonville six Pure unadulterated ship pumping from the Lions. Lions have won 8 straight, 9 of their first 10 games in a season for the first time since 1934. Winning margin of 46 points was the largest in franchise history, Jacksonville's biggest ever defeat. They set a franchise record in total yards with 645 yards, 3rd most in the NFL in the past 20 years, allowed 170 by the Jaguars,
01:30:03
Speaker
that a 475-yard margin was the third largest in league history. Somehow they avoid the running up the score allegations that like you know Sean Payton had to face after beating the Panthers by 14 points.
01:30:16
Speaker
and like they are They are killing teams with no regard for human life. it's The Jared Goff stat padding. I brought attention to this a little bit earlier. You know, they wanted to really force this MVP campaign came to a like insane a halt with the five interception game against Houston. But yeah, man, this is just this is just stat padding like this is it's it's.
01:30:39
Speaker
Why do you need Jared Goff in there for the fourth quarter when you're playing? like i It was weird. I don't know. I guess they're really trying to prove a point that they're the best team in the NFL and, you know, dismantle the weak teams, beat the good teams.
01:30:55
Speaker
like i don't know like they're definitely the best team in the nfl right now and they're currently the favorites at plus 350 i believe um but yeah i mean impressive performance from the lions somehow doug peterson hasn't been fired yet in the bye week we we were tuesday on my phone the po The news always drops on Tuesdays. we had ah We had a later start time to this pod today. We just kept waiting, waiting. And Joe Douglas is somehow the only guy to fall today. But I guess keep an eye out for that. If they drag Doug Peterson through this entire season, that's a crime.
01:31:28
Speaker
That's that's a legitimate crime. It's abuse at this point. They've lost 14 of 17 since last year. ah We've reached the I still have a job to do phase of Doug Peterson's experience, who was once again wearing a visor in this game. I'm staying woke on that visor gate.
01:31:44
Speaker
ah He said, there's nothing I can do to control that after the loss, which is just a fantastic quote from a head coach. Mack Jones 17 to 29 for 138 yards, just embarrassing game from Jacksonville. um Rams 28, New England 22, monster game from Nakua and cop. Nakua seven receptions, 123 yards, touchdown. Cops six receptions, 106 yards, two touchdowns.
Rams' Resilient Win
01:32:11
Speaker
Stafford throws four touchdowns.
01:32:14
Speaker
Williams runs for 86 yards started out a bit sketch sketchy. The path came out to play. They were up 14 to 10. Um, but still, you know, Drake may had a good game in this one, but still it's those little mistakes. Like he fumbles when they're up 14, 10, and then the Rams score a TD the very next play. So it's like those little, those little mistakes, you still see them really biting them in the ass, but may played well, 30 for 40.
01:32:39
Speaker
282, two touchdowns, in interception in the fumble. um you know Noted Pats fan, Jake Schulze, said this was the best the Pats ah offense has looked all year in this game. He called them a wagon, which is just funny. easy Easy, Jake. Easy. shut Settle down. Settle down now. Easy, boy. um But yeah, this is that there wasn't a ton from this game. we we We fought to take the Rams spread in this game in our picks battle, and they covered. um But yeah, the Rams get off the mat after that loss to Miami. What what did you have from this one?
01:33:09
Speaker
ah drake may should never be throwing the ball forty times as a rookie that's just not a recipe for success or that that will get him hurt if you keep doing that down the stretch and you don't want that ah they hung around like the the four and a half i gave it felt like it was in jeopardy the entire game. ah the rams like went up at one point like big time like they they only scored their points in two quarters but it was like 28 bad math but it I don't know it was like 28 10 or something it looked really bad on the scoreboard and then Patriots like chipping away chipping away stayed in the game
01:33:43
Speaker
Perfect loss, really ah exactly what the Patriots are looking for in the Rams. I don't know. String together three wins in a row again, and then we'll take you seriously. Yeah, I agree. um We'll move to New Orleans, 35 Cleveland, 14.
Saints' Taysom Hill's Standout Game
01:33:57
Speaker
The Rizzler Darren Rizzi picks up his second interim head coach when the entire story of this game was this was the Taysom Hill game. I feel like we get one of these at least one of these every year. This time it was a career game.
01:34:10
Speaker
Seven carries 138 yards, three touchdowns. 75 yard TD run. 50 yards receiving on eight catches gave him 248 combined yards as a runner, passer, receiver, and returner. This guy's a football player.
01:34:27
Speaker
Yeah, you never know what it's going to happen, Damien, but a Taysom Hill game is inevitable every single season. And yeah, the Browns but like you almost have to just like, you know, tip your cap when Taysom Hill just single handedly beats you in a game. And that's exactly what happened here. You got to wonder if Rashid Shahid is a system deep ball threat because they the the Saints are reinvigorating Mark Marcus Valdez scantling like another game where he's got 87 yards, two catches and a touchdown. It's like,
01:34:57
Speaker
ah what how How is this happening with all this gambling who is who i once again thought was out of the league until about two weeks ago but ah yeah i mean, do the saints even wanna win these games this is a game where i think both teams would have been fine with the loss but maybe the saints,
01:35:12
Speaker
who have already fired their head coach or trying to build some culture so the win was more important for them. Yeah, I agree. it mark MVS gets another who's back of the week just for fun. That's two weeks in a row now. ah um ah The Browns, Jamis somehow still passed for 395 yards in this game, two touchdowns. ah one of Jerry Judy had a great game, six receptions, 142 yards touchdown.
01:35:36
Speaker
ah Hopkins missed two field goals, which kind of killed them in this game, but that wasn't going to be the difference. ah They have a short week. that That is one thing that I like for the Steelers this week is they have a short week. They got to bounce back and go on Thursday night after a bad loss like that. um Yeah. the I don't know what to make of the Browns, man. It's sad and fun and sad and fun. Like I just go back and forth.
01:35:59
Speaker
It's better with deot without Deshaun Watson. That's for sure. Yeah, not not a good team. We'll be drafting in the top five, I would guess. um Yeah, they are a live dog against the Steelers on Thursday. dont Do not get that mixed up. That is a trap game of all trap games for the Steelers.
01:36:15
Speaker
Agreed Minnesota 23 Tennessee 13 Darnold gets Kind of off the mat after an early fumble 246 two touchdowns He looked a lot more like himself early in this year and Tennessee has a good defense despite their record So that I thought that was impressive to see they sweep, you know or get three wins in a row all over AFC South opponents They sit in the five seed in the playoffs ah Justin Jefferson surpasses Torrey Holt for most receiving yards in a player's first five years in the league. He continues to have monster game after monster game. Van Kinkle, what a season for him. He gets back to back sacks. Fuck, I miss him. And yeah, after going down 3-0, they score 16 unanswered to go up 16-3.5. It was kind of over after that.
01:36:59
Speaker
Where are we at with this Viking?
Vikings' Win Amid Skepticism
01:37:01
Speaker
See, out I was I said last week I was like I was out on them. This one kind of pulled me back in a little bit, but I'm I wanted them to win this game like 45 to 13, you know.
01:37:14
Speaker
yeah i guess they did cover the spread it was five and a half it just feels like they you know they beat the 49ers 49ers are five and five that's not as good of a win as we thought win over the Packers on the road that's a nice win they beat the Texans that's aging slowly and uh like that's it and then they lost the Rams they lost the Lions so i think this is a team that I'm not knocking you. If you're eight and two, I have to take you seriously. But it just feels like they haven't really crushed teams. They haven't played a lot of great teams and won. So I'm just kind of keeping an eye on the Vikings going down the stretch here. Darnold, not a pumpkin game. Like nice that you were able to kind of rewrite the ship a little bit in this one. Not you know completely revert to your old ways. 2032, 246, two passing touchdowns.
01:38:02
Speaker
I don't know what to make of this Vikings team. I lean fraudulent, but I add eight and two. I have to respect you and like you're going to be in the playoffs. So we'll see what happens when that time comes. Agreed. The Titans will have us throw the longest TD pass in the NFL this season.
01:38:19
Speaker
I forgot, actually, I had that written down. I was like, at one bright spot, you hit a bomb of a 98-yard deep ball. 98 yards. That's insane to me. you it And it was a gorgeous touchdown. Brian Callahan's losing it a bit. like he is He's yelling at refs. He's drawn flags of his own. They are the second most penalized team in the NFL. They went nine penalties for 71 yards by halftime. They got their Eighth penalty. They had eight penalties by the time that Minnesota draw drew their first flag. They finished with 13 penalties for 91 yards and like it's hard to say that's not a little bit of coaching, you know, like he's kind of losing it.
01:38:58
Speaker
Yeah, it's either he's like fully lost it to an eight team. like It's tough to get a read on this Titans team and they're, they're approaching like kind of saints territory where it's like, are they going to commit to Will Levis going forward? It doesn't feel like that's your guy, but it doesn't feel like you're out on him. So I don't know the Titans are going to be, here's a fun exercise. We got five to win teams. Jacksonville Giants, Raiders, Titans, Browns, who finishes last in the NFL.
01:39:27
Speaker
Jacksonville, I guess we'll have the tiebreaker at two and nine because they haven't had their buy yet buys coming up this week. but you So you think Jacksonville finishes with the worst record? I actually think they do because I think we did it last week. Jacksonville is like an insanely hard finish. They're in the midst of like they're really hard games, but really play here. Yeah, they go.
01:39:45
Speaker
They go buy Texans. I don't trust them to beat the Titans. Actually, they got through like their bad, bad game. That might be the grudge match. Titans versus Jags coming down the wire. They have two games left against the Titans. So that could really be it. The Raiders, they still play. The Jets, they play. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the Jets somehow. Wouldn't that be funny? That would be amazing, especially when the other New York team is starting Tommy DeVito going down the stretch.
Dolphins' Playoff Revival
01:40:12
Speaker
um that's like as obvious of a we are tanking when you put him above drew lock a guy who you went out and signed and paid money for this offseason the most evident like hey we are tanking and we want to come last so but of people are talking about like financial things with Danny Jones like his injury guarantee to like Sketchy it's very sketchy very sketchy stuff from the Giants But at least they have some semblance of a of a organization unlike the other team in New York Final game here Miami 34 Vegas 19 dolphins score 30 points for the first time this season ah Don't look now, but we're still alive. I'm still all in on the playoffs somehow ah This was a scheduled win next week against New England. We own New England ah in the to era That's got to be a scheduled win
01:41:00
Speaker
um You know, long drives from the Dolphins, another tight touchdown for Tyreke. Johnny Smith, another man possessed here. One hundred and one yards, two TDs. He's got 14 receptions, one hundred and ninety two yards and two touchdowns over the last three games. Like he looks fantastic to a looked great in this game.
01:41:19
Speaker
Three touchdown passes a chain looked great. Like this was a a very good, ah you know ah Kind of fulfilling win if you were a Dolphins fan cathartic if you might get poetic with it um But yeah, I'm not not gonna get too excited over a win ah over the Raiders who are just a tire fire fire They look better without get see like their offense looked way better than they had but yeah good good win for the Dolphins.
01:41:42
Speaker
Great win, man. and And it's like you said, it's a win that you have to have on your journey to the playoffs. Right. You can't lose these games. And next week against New England, it's another game you can't lose. You're going to have to win. You're going to be an underdog in three games down the stretch here. Maybe maybe five if if they because you play the Jets twice. So maybe they throw the Jets as favorites twice. But I'm throwing those two games out. Dolphins should be favored against the Jets, both games.
01:42:08
Speaker
You got the Packers, Texans, 49ers. I'm going to guess the dolphins are going to be underdogs and all those, maybe not against the Texans. We'll see how that goes. Got to find a way to win one of those. And I think if you do go six and two, gets you to nine and eight, gives you a fighting chance, gives you a fighting chance because who knows what the Broncos are going to do. Who knows what the Chargers are going to do, right? Like.
01:42:29
Speaker
and if they go two and one and get 10 wins like if if all that goes to plan and then and you went to ah one of those three games then you really got a fighting chance 10 wins you're in the playoffs yeah i 10 wins gets you into 10 and seven will get you in playoffs maybe you get screwed on some tiebreaker or something that's the problem though it's that colts game dude they drop that fucking colts game and and if the colts are there that's going to be the killer Colts won't be there. Don't don't do Colts aren't in your way. you're You're about to pass the Colts this this coming week. It's the Broncos Ravens Chargers. Who knows? Maybe the Steelers come back down with a tougher second half schedule. But like the eyes on the Broncos that that is your team where it's like we're setting the target on them. Maybe the Chargers with the Chargers have like a game and a half on the Broncos. So Broncos are my. ah you you verse You versus versus. Yeah, yeah, big time. ah
01:43:23
Speaker
of one last thing Brock Bowers is so so good that's like all you could take it's also kind of crazy that like by a lot of measures he should probably win offensive rookie of the year like I don't think he will but it there you could certainly make a case he's on track to smash puka nakua's reception record like he's projected to have 119 receptions this year that's insane yeah it we know some feels like it's the same kind of thing with the Raiders every week one bright spot Brock Bowers max Crosby but not a lot of people are talking about Brock Bowers and likes I think he is the third favorite to win but it's a massive gap on the betting odds and you're right where it's like
01:44:05
Speaker
If the commanders somehow don't make the playoffs, if the Broncos somehow don't make the playoffs, then why shouldn't Brock Bowers get it well from being the far and away best player on his team, especially on ah offense? The argument is there to be had. Damien, maybe we get in now. Yeah, we don't let we don't let it happen like we let it happen with Bo Nix. I kind of like that. I'm going to take a look at that after we but after we finished recording here. It's a perfect segment.
Week 12 NFL Game Picks
01:44:31
Speaker
into our week 12 picks to finish off this episode. i was seventeen and thirteen i go two and one to go to nineteen and fourteen ah patrick was fourteen and sixteen goes two and one to go to sixteen and seventeen the saints ruined is under there he's fighting he's three games behind still you're still one week still could could change all this. I'm keeping pace with the leader. It's all you have to do. Still seven or eight weeks to go left in the season. Plenty of time to a long game. Hopefully we just keep winning every week though. Yeah. I would love just winning weeks. People ride in the picks and we make them some money. That's, that's the goal here. Absolutely. I keep serve here.
01:45:12
Speaker
um Because I was up last week even though we tie this week I will lead it off with a line that has not moved whatsoever for two teams that were on a buy I'm gonna take the Bucks five and a half against the Giants. I think that's too small of a line I love anything inside of seven with the Bucks in this game We talked about the Bucks like we there's something to this team like they they play hard as hell I don't see them taking a game off against the Giants and Tommy DeVito's playing that was my first, that was my first pick too. It's, and I think Mike Evans is trying to play not a hundred percent if he will, but I believe he's trying to might return to practice this week, but I love that pick.
01:45:51
Speaker
I think I'm just going to take this team every week. I don't know if I, I'm giving away my, my, you know, down the stretch strategy here, but I got to go with the lions. if If they're going to beat every team as much like 13 points and they covered it by almost 20, like so it was crazy. So seven and a half, I believe is the line against the Colts. Um, I'm going to lay the number on the road at Indy. I like that.
01:46:12
Speaker
ah like that yeah after last week like how can you not like a 52 to 6 win that that spread could have been 30 and it's like you don't feel like a fool when you lose betting on the lines that that it's all for the mentors you know big mental game um all right my next pick i'm gonna go to a guy that we were just talking a lot about i know it's a divisional matchup i know i know but after watching that game against the dolphins You take the Broncos minus five and a half. It was four and a half on Monday and it moved to five and a half. I love seeing that. I'm a bow lever now. Broncos five and a half.
01:46:51
Speaker
So I was looking at the board, I go, what's the grossest pick on the board? And I circled the Vegas Raiders plus five and a half. Oh, first time going head to head here. It was my last pick where it was like, if everything gets taken, I go, I go gross and I do it. But I, if I circled the other side in that matchup, I'm going to go with another one that I don't think is going to be a popular pick. It moved half a point and I'm, I'm scared now.
01:47:17
Speaker
But it moved in the right way, but it just feels like grabbing this number means nothing. I might as well almost grab them on the money line. I'm talking Sunday night football Rams hosting the Eagles. Give me the Rams plus two and a half. They're plus three basically all day. Just moved to two and a half. That's an honesty, you know, from me to the viewer right there, but I love the Rams. I think it's a spot where the Eagles are riding so high right now. Rams still fighting for their lives at home. Love the Rams.
01:47:42
Speaker
Yeah, I wonder how Philly fans are going to travel to that game because Rams at home notoriously, you know, bad, you know, home home spot. um I kind of like the Eagles and that we're seeing the board differently this week.
01:47:55
Speaker
Uh, I kind of love that. Um, all right. Last pick here, man, I go back and forth here. There's a couple of picks that I know will not be winners. And I, oh man, I'm going back and fucking those, those probably will be the winners. Yeah. Yeah. I i am going to go.
01:48:17
Speaker
Oh, man. You know, I'm going to plug my nose and do this one. 49ers plus two and a half. It is it is moved towards Green Bay. It was it was plus one and a half. But I like this in a field goal game. I like a field goal game for this, like 20 to 17 when if the Packers win, I'm fine with. I'm going to try and go and fade myself a bit on this third pick and go 49ers plus two and a half.
01:48:42
Speaker
was I'm scared of that matchup. Those are two teams. Like I said this in episode, I don't really know what they're they are, but I do lean 49ers in that one as well. The Chiefs pick all over again. That's what I'm worried about. Well, here's another one where it's just like, i I'm going to find the wrong side of this matchup, but I'm going. Sorry, sorry, I might. There's one that I looked at really long and hard, but I want no part of.
01:49:07
Speaker
So ah it's it's I'm in the same spot every week, right? do i Do I hedge the Steelers? Because I truly believe the Browns are going to cover in that game and maybe win. No, no, I'm not putting out there that I'm betting against the Steelers. I'm going with our Arizona Cardinals plus one and a half on the road at Seattle. Let's do it. This is, this is, this can, you know, leave your mark on the NFC West. You win this one. You're in the driver's seat to win the division, almost guaranteed a playoffs. Well, this is a huge matchup and I'm taking Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. Against the Seahawks.
01:49:42
Speaker
that was the game I looked at long and hard for my third pick I'm scared of it so i'm I'm staying away but if our Cardinals can deliver this one that is a resounding win for them and you know you go back and forth Jekyll and Hyde here the Seahawks are that team now so they had a great big win last week kind of prime for a letdown spot against a good Cardinals team that's That's where my mind went. Cardinals off a bat, right? ah The only thing that scared me was the Cardinals have to go on the road, but it's all the same time zone. like It's all good.
01:50:14
Speaker
It's all good. Uh, that will do it for our week 12 picks. If you're right, if you wrote last week, you had a good week. Me and Patrick went four and two combined. Um, but that will do it for this episode of the goalpost. Got to a lot in this one. Argos are great cup champions. Don't forget that. Um, but thanks again for listening. Thanks for the support and another great weekend of football ahead.
01:50:36
Speaker
Yeah. If you listen to this podcast throughout the, the gray cup seat or the CFL season, you are also a gray cup champion. So, you know, wear your Argos gear and loud and proud in the streets, you know, talk some trash to any tiger cats fans you run into because they are, they're so far from where the Argos are. Uh, but yeah, it's great, man. they Football's in full swing. One, one league ends, but another in college football will ramp up down the stretch year playoff talk coming up. But yeah, it's beautiful. The game of football is just the absolute best. It is the best. This is the best time of year. We got so much football. Until next week Patrick, I'll see ya. See ya Damien.